Railroad-crossing signal



' C. H. REYNOLDS ET AL RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed June 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Glilfeymldr,

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1;. H. REYNOLDS ET AL RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Feb. 10. 1925.

Filed June 6, 1924 I I w v gnvmflom 6.17.1? awn 1200.2

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Monte 114 Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED TATES PATENT OFFICE.

,oHARLEs HEBBER'rnEraIoLns, BILLIE WELDON wILcoX, AND HENRY THOMAS MI KEN amon, o lo.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Appiication filed June 6, 19251. Serial No. 718,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HERBERT ltnrnotns, Brenna WnLDoN Wncox, and HnNnY THOMAS Mionnns, citizens of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improve .lnents in Railroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a Specification.

The invention relates to railroad signals and more particularly to an automatically operated signal located at ajgrade crossing and arranged to be operated by an approach- 1 ain v c V The objects of the invention are to provide a railroadsignal including a boom located at a ,crossing and provided with an audibleand visible alarm or signal, means being provided at a. distance from the crossing whereby an approaching train or car will automatically lower the boom and op crate the audible and visible signals, the

boom being automatically raised to the inoperative position as thetrain or car passes the crossing.

The above and other objects may be at tained by constructing the signal in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in .which-' A Figure lis aplanview of a portion of a railroad track with the improved signal. applied thereto;

Fig. 2, a section on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; A, an elevation of theboom; i

Fig, 5,a section on the line 5.5, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6, a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, the rails of one track I of a railway are indicated at 6 with the trains or cars running in the direction of the arrow in Fi 1 "from which the signal is operated. This guard rail is located upon the inside of the rail farthest from the signal, whereby the car wheels upon thatside are held tightly 111 engagement with the rail.

A treadle8, of a slightly greater length than the distance bfil wefilithe wheelslof a car, is fixedly mounted upon the sliding blocks 9, slidably mounted in the guides 10 fixed upon the adjacent ties l1 and is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1, by means of the springs 12 located around the plungers 13 and engaging the fixed blocks 14.

A frog 15 is connected, at its rear end, to the treadle 8 by the plunger 16 which is fixed to the frog and slidably extended through a bearing 17in the tread'le, a head 18 being provided at the upper end of the plunger, the coil spring 19 being interposed between said head and the treadle to normally hold this end of the frog in engagement with the treadle.

A lug 20 is formed upon the other end portion of the treadle, engaging the frog and holding the forward end portion thereof in engagement with the adjacent rail 6, shown in 1.

Thus with a car or train running in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, the wheels thereof will pass between the frog and the adjacent rail, sliding the treadle away from the rail to operate the signal, as will be hereinafter described.

- However, should a train or car approach from the opposite direction, the wheels thereof will pass between the frog and the treadle, moving the rear end of the frog away from the treadle and into contact with the adjacent rail, against the action of the spring 19, without moving the treadle to "finger 22 upon the lever 23 pivoted, intermediate its extremities, as at 24, beneath the center of the adjacent rail 6.

A fixed arm 25 projects upward from the lever-.23 upon the outer side of the rail and is .pivotally connected to one end of the link 26, the other end portion being slotted as at 27 to engage the pin 28 upon the freeend of the rocker arm 29, fixed upon the rocker shaft 30.

The rocker shaft 30 is journaled in suitable bearings 31 located at'intervals alongside of the track, being preferably supported upon elongated rail ties 11 The rocker shaft is provided upon its forward end with a head 32 having a pair of oppositelydisposed lugs 33 upon its outer face.

bearing 35, in alignment with the shaft 30 and provided with a similar head 32 having the lugs 33 arranged to be engaged by the lugs 33. V

A rocker arm 36 is fixed upon the outer end of the shaft 34 and the free end thereof is pivotally connected to the spring pressed plunger 37, by means of the pin 38. A coil spring 39 is located around the plunger 37, being interposed between the head 40 thereof and the fixed bracket 41.

An car 42 is fixed to the lower end of the plunger 37 and pivotally connected as at 43 to the link 44, the other end of which is pivotally connected as at 45 to the rocker arm 46 fixed upon the rocker shaft 47 and provided with the shoulder 48 arranged to be engaged by the lip 49 upon the rocker arm 50.

A rocker arm 51 is fixed upon the other end of the rocker shaft 47 and is pivotally connected at its free end, as by the pin 52, to the lower end of the link 53, the upper end of the link being pivotally connected as at 54 to the lower end portion of the boom. 55, which is pivoted near its lower end as at 56 upon a rigid upright 57, a counterweight 58 upon the lower end of the boom normally holding the same in raised position, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The upper end of the boom is provided with a transparent panel 59, behind which is located an electric lamp 60 A wire 61 leads from the lamp to the battery 62, the other wire 63 of the circuit being connected to a pivoted switch member 64, pivoted as at 65 upon the upright 57.

The forward end of the switch member is provided with a contact 66 arranged to engage the contact 67 which is connected to the other side of the battery. The rear end of the switch member is bifurcated as at 68 and engages a pin 69 upon the link 53. A bell 70 may also be carried upon the boom and connected to the circuit 6163.

The rocker arm 50 is fixed upon a rocker shaft 71, journaled in a bearing 72 connected to the adjacent ties, a rocker arm 73 being fixed upon said shaft. The free end of the arm (3 is connected by a link 74 with the lever 75, a spring pressed plunger '76 being arranged to normally hold the lever in normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. i

The lever 75 is pivoted beneath the adjacent rail and provided upon the inner side of the rail with the fixed finger 77, engaging a lug 78 upon the adjacent side of the treadle 79. This treadle is pivoted as at 80 and arranged to normally lie in the position shown in Fig. l, in close proximity to the adjacent rail.

Upon the opposite side of the track, a guard rail 81 is fixed to the ties upon the inner side of the rail in position to hold the wheels of the cars in engagement with the rail.

The operation of the signal is as follows: As a train or car approaches the crossing in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, the wheels upon the right side will engage the frog 15, moving the same inward away from the adjacent rail and sliding the treadle 8 inwardly.

The treadle will thus engage the finger 22 of the lever 23, rockingthe same in a direction to rock the rocker shaft 30 in the direction of the arrows shown thereon in F 1. As the rocker shaft 30 is thus turned, the lugs 33 thereon will engage the lugs 33 upon the shaft 34, turning the same in the direction shown.

The rock-er arm 36 upon the shaft 34 will thus, through the link 44, rock the shaft 45 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, lowering the boom 55 and closing the switch 65-67, completing the circuit to the lamp 60 and bell 70, thus giving a visible and audible signal to those approaching the crossing As the rocker arm 45 is thus rocked into the operative position, the shoulder 48 thereof will be engaged under the lip 49 of the rocker arm 50, holding the boom in the lowered position. As the rear end of the train passes beyond the frog 15, the rocker shaft 30 and associated parts will assume the normal position, without changing the position of the boom.

As the train passes the crossing, the wheels upon the right side thereof will engage the treadle 79, rocking the same inward away from the adjacent rail, rocking the shaft 71 back to the normal position, the lip 49 releasing the rocker arm 45, permitting the spring 39 to throw the shaft 34 and associated parts back to the normal po sition, raising the boom and track and the circuit.

The transparent panel 59, behind which the light is located, is preferably formed of red glass with a danger warning thereon, such as the skull and cross bones shown on the drawing, which, of course, is of a different color, preferably black or white. in order to stand out clearly upon the red glass when the electric lamp is lighted.

lVe claim 1. A railroad signal. including a pivoted. boom placed at one side of a railroad track. a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to the boom, a treadle located at a distance from the boom. opera tively engaging the shaft and arranged to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the boom into operative position, and means adjacent to the boom ar ranged to be operated by the moving vehicle for swinging the boom into inoperative position.

2. A railroad signal including a pivoted boom placed at one side of a railroad track, a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to the boom, a treadlc located at a distance from the boom, operatively engaging the shaft andiarranged to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the boom into operative position, a catch for temporarily holding the boom in operative position, and means adjacent to the boom arranged to be operated by the moving vehicle for releasing the catch;

3. A. railroad signal including a pivoted boom placed at one side of a railroad track, a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to'the boom, a treadle located at a distance from the boom, op-

erativel en a in the shaft and arran 'ed b O b b to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the boom into operative position, and means adjacent to the boom arranged to be operated by themoving vehicle for swinging the boom into inoperative position, and means for preventing operation of the treadle by a vehicle moving in one direction.

1-, A railroad signal including a pivoted boom placed at one side of a railroad track, a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to the boom, a treadle located at a distance from the boom, operatively engaging the shaft and arranged to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the boom into operative position, a catch for temporarily holding the boom in operative position, means adacent to the boom arranged tobe operated I by the moving vehicle for releasing the catch, and means for preventing operation of the treadle by a vehicle moving in one direction.

5. A railroad signal including a pivoted boom placed at one side of a railroad track, a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to the boom, a second longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft in alignment with the first shaft, means upon the second shaft for rocking the first shaft in one direction only, a treadle located at a distance from the boom operatively engaging the second shaft and arranged to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the boom into operative position, and means adjacent to the boom arrangedto be operated by the moving vehicle for swinging the boom into inoperative position. 7 e

6. A railroad signal including a pivoted boom placed at one side of a railroad track, a longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft operatively connected to the boom, a second longitudinally extending, rotatable shaft in alignment with the first shaft, means upon the second shaft for rocking the first shaft in one direction only, a treadle located at a distance fromv the boom op eratively engaging the second shaft and arranged to be operated by a moving vehicle on the track for swinging the'boom into operative position, a catch for temporarily holding the boom in operative position, and means adjacent to the boom arranged to be operated by the moving vehicle for releasing the'catch,

In testimony that we claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

CHARLES HERBERT REYNOLDS.

BILLIE VVELDON WILCOX.

HENRY THOMAS MIOKENS. 

